Owning and operating a store comes with a lot of responsibility. Not only do you have to ensure your store is safe and well maintained for your customers, but it also has to be well maintained and safe for your employees. A leak in your commercial building’s ceiling can lead to disaster if someone slips and falls. In addition, a leaky ceiling or roof can also lead to damaged products and inventory loss.
You should do several things right away if you discover a leak in your store’s roof, but the first thing you should do is not panic. Here are a few ways to deal with leaky ceilings.
Move Products and Other Items
If you discover your ceiling is leaking during a rainstorm or have noticed the ceiling leaking on previous occasions, move any products, shelving, furniture, and other items out of the way. Make sure you mop up any water on the floor, place a container beneath the leak to catch any additional water and place wet floor signs around the area.
Create a Drain Hole
You can create a drain hole by taking a sharp, pointed object like a screwdriver and poking and hole in the ceiling where the leak is most prominent. A drain hole will allow the water to drain from your ceiling and prevent it from spreading or pooling and causing more damage.
Call a Professional Roofer
When you discover a ceiling leak, you need to call a professional roofing company to inspect your roof. No matter how often you repair or replace the ceiling tiles, if you have a leaky roof, the damage will continue to occur and become more severe.
Professional roofing companies like Tillotson Enterprise Inc. specialize in this process. They can help you locate leaks in your roof, evaluate the damages, and install new roofs or repair your roof if possible. Sometimes is more cost-effective to replace your entire roof rather than making repairs year after year if your roof is old or severely damaged from undetected leaks.
Inspect the Plumbing
Not all leaks in your store’s ceiling are caused by a leaky or damaged roof. If there’s a leak in your plumbing system or if you use an evaporative cooler that’s leaking water, they can also cause a leak in your ceiling. Remember that any leaks around joists, beams and other roofing materials can cause damage to your roof, so it’s a good idea to have your roof inspected for damage if you find a water leak caused by damaged or poorly sealed pipes.
A leaky ceiling or roof in your store doesn’t have to cost you a fortune in repairs, damages, or even worse, a lawsuit due to a slip and fall. You should act quickly and have any leaks repaired by a professional immediately.
